Shock-absorber.



e ii'iniriaD strains- PATENT OFFICE. y

OWEN E. Aims, oE EnEws'rE, NEW Yoan.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Lacasse.l

To all uihom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN B. AMES, a citizen of the United Statemsand a'resident of Brewster, county of Putnam, State of.

varies greatly according to the character of the roadbed traversed, andan eliicient shock-absorber must possess a certain fiexi bility ofoperation to adapt it to the road conditions. If the roadway is smooththe vehicle spring should be free from restrain when flexed, so that itsaction may. be coniplete and easy, the body of the vehicle rising andfalling softly and. comfortably, without shock or jar as smallinequalities are encountered by the wheels. A properly flexible spr-ingfor smooth roads is, however, too flexible on rough roads, for aftercompression tlie Vrecoil is quick and sharp, and gives rise to theupward snap or jumpwhich makes riding on a rough road so uncomfortable.

Myvnovel shock-absorber is so constructed and arranged that it adaptsitself autojnatically to road conditions, assumes control of the vehiclespring only when cal-led into action by recoil movement of the latterdue4 to light or heavy jars, that is, it is normally in a passivecondition, and does not 1n any Way interfere with t-he riding of thecar.

After theshock absorber is once applied it' needs no adjustment', isractically indestructible, and obviates spring breakage under allOrdinar circumstances. Itis equally adapted for light or heavy springs,performing its designed functions properly and completely iii eithercase'.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed' out in thefollowin claims. y

Figure 1 is a side elevation known form of'vehicle spring and a por# 5tion of the frame with which it is connected,

" Specification of Letters Patent.

, l/ Application filed'November 20, 1911. Serial No. 661,302.

0f4 a wen' Patented June 1i, 1912.

with the axle shown in cross-section, one embodiment of my presentinvention being illustrated in connection with the'spring, which latteris sup osed to be in normal orsubstantially un exed condition; Fig. 2 1sa similar View, but showing the spring flexed sufficient] to brin intoaction the novel lform of reinforcing umper forming a part of myinvention; Fig. `3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but on a smaller scale,showing a modification, to be referred to.

Referringto lthe drawing, A is a portion of the frame of a vehicle, suchas an automobile, and' B is a common'foiin of leafspring used on suchvehicles,`connected at one of its, ends by the swinging link C with theframe, vand at its4 other end'pivotally connected at D with a han r Efixedly attached to and depending rom-the frame. The spring is securedto the -axle F in any usual manner, as bythe clips'Gn'but in accordancewith my present'invention the clipsl are made somewhat longer than iscustomar for a purposato be described.

eneath the spring B, and between it and the clip-plate H I interpose areinforcing bumper, made as a bar 1`of spring-steel and having itsopposite ends bent ori curved, as at-Q, 2, beneath and turned towardthelower or convex face of the springbutnormally flexure. of lthe springbut'also acting to re `inforce the 1 fresistance ofy the `.spring toiiexure.' Thus a light spring can be used, 10G sufficient to accommodateordinary road conditions, and when ruts, holes or other materialirregularities are encountered the bumper will be brought* intonation,reinforcing or helping out the-woiik of the 105 spring. Ordinarily thebumper will not interfvere with the spring actionto any greater extentthan does the rubber block frequently mounted on 'top of" a spring atits central portion above the axle,'but such block hasl 11.`

herein shown as -an elongatedbar. 4 of no function of reinforcing thespring nor of taking up shock directly through its Vcooperation with thespring, as is the" ca se with my novel`bumper. y n Above tlie'spring Band held in place by `the clips I inteipose a spacing member 3,

said' spacin which'may be a plate 'or block of Wood, metal, orotliersuitable material, and upon memberI seat my improved shook-absor er This[shock-absorber is spring-steel of any suitable character, 'extendedthrough the clips 7and having its opposite free ends 5, 5slightly.bentldownwardf and lying in the recoil path of the sprin B, butnormally itis passive, exerting no e ect u onthelsprjngas shown vby fulllines,

ig.' 1, asV the ends '5,-7-5, do not-engage` the l spring under normalconditions. A lstienyin'gor strengthening bar@ lies upon thev bar "4,and is preferably made. of'fsnnilar resilient material, the free endsf,f-Iextending beyond the cli s and lying snugly upon the extensions 5,.igs. l and 2. `The parts 4 and 6 supeiposed one upon another,form'aleaf-like shock-'absorbing member, the spacing block 3 beingfmadeof such thickness as ywill hold the free ends 5,l 5 of the shockfeoyabsorbing member j'ustmfree of the spring'B 'when' unflexed.,y Whenthespring is flexed Tit tends to assume a straight line between v itspoints of attachment with'the frame A`,

` the extent of lexure 4varying according It0 the character of the.,i'oed,A but ordinarily the 13?.

spring will "move without bringing the s ook-absorber into action.4 If,however, a

' ,'stidden jolt'orjar causes an unusual or ex- *'tr'eme ilexure of thespring its .reooil move' inent is-also extreme and abnormal, tendingY'not'oiily to break thedslprifng but, to shake yifahdseverely jolt `thevehicle body by the upward snap ofthe spring.V By the use of my improvedshock-absorber, however, this sudden recoil movement o r snap of the'spring is taken up and absorbed, for as theV spring recoils it isbrought intoengagement with the free ends 5.0i the shockabsorbert andthe force of the impact tends to swing such ends vi'ipivard andalong/the surfaceV of said spring as `indicated `by dotted lines, Fig.1the concavesurface o f tlie'spring at such time tendingtoas'sumethe/positin 13x indicated by the dotted line, and the reableslattin sistance presented byv the shock-absorber takes up'the shock andabsorbs it and pre-- vents the lvery disagreeable and objectionor snaping of the spring on the recoil. t will t us be seen that a movablepoint of contact is provided which tends ,to spread or extend the forceof the impact over or along the surface of the spring, thereby avoidingany fixed point of contact between the ends 5 of the member 4 with thespring vand hence overcoming liability to break or snapthe spring.

It will' be `noted that the shock-absorber is normally passive and doesnot in anyl Wayinterfere Withfl the ordinary action of the spring, andHence will not affect the easy` riding of vthe'vehicle under ordinarycircumstances Where no shock-absorber or any irind is necessary, butwhen abnormal conditions prevail and the incre or less violentv recoilof theA spring takes place the shock which otherwise would betransmitted to the bodyof the .car by suoli recoil is taken up, absorbedand dissipated by, the

a* v .shock-absorbei'. The ,upper portion of said shock-absorbingiVmember stiiens and strengthens vloiveror 'spring portion, cooperatingtherewith between the free ends `thereof and its lixed center.

Alfter my improved shock-absorber has once been 'fitted and applied to agiven spring no further adjustmentis necessary at any time lfor'thespacing blocker plate `3 holds the central portions of the spring andthe shock-absorbing member properly spaced apart, each to perform itsotvn functions 'at'the proper time, and when called upon Vto do so.V Theconstruction is extremely simple, it is strongand durable, beingpractically-indestructibl,`\unless the vehicle itself be smashed, Vanddepends in no 'Way i1 on hydraulic'or pneumatic action or a com inationthereof.. The simplicity of the device is such that there .is nothing to"get out of order oi-lout of adjustment as will be manifest.`'v-Notlonly is the unoontrolled recoil or 'rebound Vof v the vehiclespring disagreeable inits eiiiectsipon the occupants of a vehicle, ,butit tends to break the spring Y, and this tendency. to spring breakage iseffectually.- 'overcome by my presentv invention."

,In Figs.` 1- .and i.Y the stiiieiiing and strengthening member or bar 6is arranged so that its function is to reinforce the recoil resistanceof the shoclnabsorbing member 4, 5, said member 6 not acting until theup Ward thrust of the ends 5 of the shock-absorbing member are broughtinto play by 'the recoil ofthe spring. The resistance of the spring todownward thrust is reinforced the action of the bumper member 2, in

b ',Fyigsfl rand 2, such vbumper member only acting when the springfisflexed by the down iso ` 4,-, ect to stiften sind strengthen'seid member'and to 'reinforce the'recoil resistance thereof, just as doesthenieinbei` (S, 7 in Figs. l and 2. When a sudden down .thrust oecnrs,however, flexing the spring B, the nptnrnef ends 9 of the member 8 arebrought intoengagement with the overhanging part. A of" the frame,flexing said member 8 so that it acts as a spring; bumper, taking npn'-portion oi." theAihriist. In Figs.' l and 2 the bumper lmember l, 2takes up a portion of the downthrnst, but bv acting against the flexedspring B. Thus, by the modification' shown in Fig. 3 the member 8, 9 hasthe twofold function of a stiffener and strengtliener for thespringfagainst recoil, and also as a spring bumper to take np a portionof the clown thrust.

The construction and arrangement 'of the sboeknbsorbing member enablesit to perform n very important additional function,

. that of preventing or stopping vibration of the main spring, preciselyin the Way that any body in vibration is damped by contact with snot-herbodv. In actual practice have found that vibrations of the spring arestopped instantly by Contact with the nor-- mally passive-shock-absorbing` member, which is a. veryimportant feature,for-'vibration causes yery objectionable .crystalli-` ration ot'themetal ofthe spring, and is a .prlitic canse of spring breakage.` Thisstoppage of vibration inthe spring cannot .be etteeted b v any rdevice"in constant contact therewith, for siii-,h device must necessarilypartake of the saine vibrations, and hence the interniittenttoiichingorengagemcnt of the free of my 'shock-absorbing member with thevibrating;1 portions of thel spring can and does stop such vibrations, A

Various changes in details o'if'constriic- '4 tion and arrangement maybei'made by those skilled in the art. Without departing vfrom thespirit, and scope ot' my invention as set 'forth in the claims annexedhereto.

llziving .fully described my invention,

-with the free ends of and what I claim as nevi7 find desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the frame ineinber and the axlemeniber of'avehicle, and a spring iixedly mounted on one of said meinbers andoperatively connected with the other member, of a resilient; andnormally passive member fixedly supported by the axle adjacentsaid'spring and having its free ends oppositcly extended adjacent and inthe recoil path of the spriinc,` and eigtending toward said spring atopposite sides of the tixedly mounted ortion of the spring, recoil ofthe spring a ter iiexiire bringing it into direct 'and temporaryAengagement t, ereby iexing seid resilient member to talreiip and absorbthe shock of the recoil.

and in the recoil path of' the spring and,

extending toward said spring at opposite sides of the tixedly mountedportion et the spring, recoil of the spring after iiennrc bringing itinto direct' and temporary enn Jugement with the free ends o and therebyflexing said resilientI meinber'to taire m5 angl absorb the shock of therecoil.

4ln ltestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OWEN B. .liiil vViiitnesses:

Himno TiiAvis, 1l. Biimsaiii..

